Goals change games and can sometimes change minds. By half-time, after a routine mix of the bright and the banal, West Ham United supporters had clearly got it in for Carlton Cole but within half a minute of the second half his was the inspired touch that had the place rejoicing.

For the fickle fan Cole is a natural fall guy. Lanky, loping footballers are obvious targets when things go awry. Chelsea were forever loaning him out - to Wolves, Charlton and Aston Villa - and since joining West Ham he has still seemed to be living on borrowed time. His arrival against Middlesbrough was precipitated by the loss of Craig Bellamy, who departed midway through the first half with a sore groin, and for a while he did play as if he was wearing the wrong feet.

Maybe West Ham are employing a half-time hypnotist. The first-time ball that Cole played through to Lee Bowyer, who completed a sweet movement which saw West Ham take the lead after 23 seconds of the restart, would not have disgraced Pele. Five minutes later Cole, easily riding a half-hearted challenge from Stewart Downing, spotted Hayden Mullins unmarked beyond the far post and tried to find him with a low cross which he mishit, only for Luke Young to divert the ball into his own net. Cole could now do no wrong, although the hypnosis appeared to have worn off in the closing minutes when he put the ball wide with only Mark Schwarzer to beat.

At least this was in keeping with the generally wanton nature of the finishing. Had Middlesbrough accepted half their chances they would have taken at least a point. Jérémie Aliadière, set up by Mido, hit a post after 18 minutes when he should have scored and after the former Arsenal striker had tweaked a hamstring his replacement, Tuncay Sanli, proved even more profligate. Signed on a free from Fenerbahce, he had the speed and wit to beat West Ham's offside trap but either missed or failed to trouble Robert Green.

Thus West Ham found themselves lying fifth for at least one night, a situation which would have had Alan Curbishley, when he was the manager at Charlton, worrying aloud about raising expectations too much too soon. Yet after their controversial survival last season West Ham will be hoping for a little more and the return of Dean Ashton to something approaching full match fitness gives them genuine grounds for optimism.

Ashton was on the pitch for all but nine minutes and capped an immaculate exhibition of centre-forward play with the third goal. This may have been a matter-of-fact finish at the far post after Boro had failed to cut out a clearable centre but it was Ashton's first in competitive games since the 2006 FA Cup final, and team-mates and fans celebrated accordingly.

"He looked strong today," said Curbishley. "Two weeks ago against Reading he looked leggy but he's played for the reserves since and it's done him the world of good." By contrast the defensive excellence which distinguished West Ham's 3-0 victory at the Madejski had given way to a repetition of the collywobbles that have dogged their performances at home this season. "We sat down at half-time thinking we had done well," reflected Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager. "I couldn't see anything between the sides. But we didn't get out of the blocks in the second half."

A more inspiring change strip might help. White shirts with gold trim, gold shorts and gold stockings may sound exotic but Boro looked as if they had been shopping at Oxfam.